Suspension seats for vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a suspension seat for a vehicle. The vehicle suspension seat has a back rest guided for vertical movement relative to a base part, a seat rest hinged to the back rest and guided for movement such that the body of the seat occupant swings about an axis through his ankles. An armrest is mounted for movement relative to the back rest and seat rest, so as to minimize movement of the seat occupant's arm relative to a steering wheel, by pivotally supporting the armrest about the instantaneous centers of rotation of the armrest relative to two parts of the seat which move pivotally with respect to each other in response to vertical movement of the back rest.

I claim: 
     
       1. A vehicle seat adapted to receive an occupant of a predetermined size comprising a seat part, which includes a back rest, a seat rest, means for mounting the seat rest for tilting movement relative to the back rest, a base part, and a suspension means mounting and guiding the back rest for substantially vertical upward and downward movement relative to the base part in a ride zone extending above and below a mid-ride position of the seat rest, the suspension means and the means for mounting the seat rest being operable together to guide the seat rest in said tilting movement relative to the back rest such that at the mid-ride position of the seat there is no relative movement, as the seat rest moves above and below its mid-ride position, between the thighs of an occupant for whom the seat is designed and the seat rest, nor between the back of an occupant and the back rest and such that the occupant's ankles remain fixed at a predetermined point relative to the base part, the suspension means comprising a spring for counter-balancing the seat part and seat occupant; an armrest on at least one side of the seat, and means mounting fore and aft portions of the armrest for tilting movement relative to the seat rest and the back rest and locating the armrest so as to support, without relative movement, the lower arm of the occupant when the occupant is the vehicle driver so that the driver's hand will remain fixed at a predetermined point relative to the base part when the driver is grasping a steering wheel or other control, said last named mounting means constraining the said fore and aft portions of the armrest to pivotally move about a pair of horizontal transverse axes, one of said pair of axes being the instantaneous center of rotation of the occupant's lower arm and the armrest about a first part of the seat which moves pivotally with respect to the armrest during said upward and downward movement, the other of said pair of axes being located in such a manner that its intantaneous direction of motion is the same as if the said transverse axis moves in an arc about the instantaneous center of rotation of the driver's lower arm and the armrest relative to a second part of the seat which moves pivotally with respect to the armrest during said upward and downward movement. 
     
     
       2. A vehicle seat adapted to receive an occupant of a predetermined size comprising a seat part, which includes a seat rest, a back rest, and means mounting the seat rest for tilting movement relative to a back rest, a base part, a suspension guiding the back rest for substantially vertical upward or downward movement relative to the base part in a ride zone extending above and below a mid-ride position of the seat rest, the suspension including means guiding the seat rest for tilting movement relative to the back rest and to the base part such that the ankles of a seat occupant for whom the seat is designed will remain fixed relative to the base part as the suspension moves above and below its mid-ride position, a spring for counterbalancing the seat part and the seat occupant, an armrest on at least one side of the seat, and means mounting the armrest for movement relative to the seat rest and back rest so that the armrest will support the lower arm of the occupant, without relative movement, when the occupant is the vehicle driver and the driver's hand is grasping the vehicle's steering wheel or other control which is fixedly mounted relative to the base part, said mounting means comprising a link having a first pivotal connection at its upper end to the forward end of the armrest, and a second pivotal connection at its opposite end to a point on the seat part adjacent to or below the thigh of the seat occupant, said mounting means further comprising a member supported by the back rest, the armrest having a second pivotal connection above its rearward end to said member at a point intermediate the length of the upper arm of the seat occupant. 
     
     
       3. A vehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein said other (16) of said pair of transverse axes moves in an arc about the instantaneous center of rotation (I. 10 .7) of the occupant's lower arm (10) relative to said second part (5, is extension of thigh 7) of the seat which moves pivotally with respect to the armrest during said upward and-downward movement.